Innocence doesn't exist here
by san121
Summary: All her life, Natsume knew about the other worlds, thanks to the blood of her mother flowing through her veins. She knew her father was a wanted man in the human world, and a feared one in the demon world. What Natsume didn't know was that the death of one boy in the complex her mother owns would get her closer to the two worlds in ways she never wanted.
1. Chapter 1

I don't think anyone understands how much I adore Yu Yu Hakusho. So, here it is, in all it's unedited glory, the slowly coming together story of Natsume Fujiko. This will eventually become KuramaxOc, just really long with kind of shippy moments spread through out. Also, a few references to Lupin the 3rd will pop up from time to time. Other than that, enjoy!

* * *

"Wake up Fujiko-sama. It's time to finish the first week of a new year," a woman says, opening the blinds to a large window. The sunlight reaches the bed, hitting the face of a fifteen year old girl. The blonde groans and curls in on herself, trying to get away from the light. The older woman huffed, slightly amused, before lifting the cover slightly and shoving her hand under the covers, touching the younger girl's stomach. The girl yelped and bolted upright in bed, flailing as she fell to the floor. The dark haired woman watched the blonde girl flail on the floor before turning to the closet and pulling out a dark red skirt, a white long sleeve shirt, a lighter red ascot, and a pair of socks, placing the clothing neatly on the mattress.

"Your mother is waiting for you downstairs, so please do get dressed," she tells the blonde, walking to the door and giving a bow before leaving the room and going down the stairs.

The blonde laid on the floor for a few moments, staring at the ceiling with lidded eyes. Letting out a yawn, the girl sits up from her blankets. Scratching her head, she kicked off her covers and stood up. Grabbing her clothes, she heads to the bathroom. After a quick shower and blow-drying her hair, she pulls on her uniform and brushes out long blonde hair, before pulling it back into a ponytail. Re-entering her bedroom, she glances at the clock and lets out a string of curses. Grabbing her school bag, she runs out of her room, down the stairs and grabbing her lunch from the maid. Pausing long enough to give her mother a kiss on the cheek, she then shoves a piece of toast into her mouth and sprints to the door, nodding at the butler who pulled the door open. Shoving her feet into her shoes, she swallows down the last of her toast then takes off down the road, toward her school.

"...Yuki-san, make sure that Natsume-chan makes it to school safely," the brunette woman at the head of the table said, taking a sip of coffee as she reads the newspaper. The dark haired woman bowed before vanishing from the room, off to tail the teen. An older butler cleared his throat gaining the brunette's attention.

"Are you certain that Yuki-san should be following Natsume-sama to school, Hikari-dono?" he asked, bowing at the woman. Hikari raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes gaining a faint silver glow in them, prompting the butler to bow again.

"My apologies, Hikari-dono," he said, raising from his bow.

"Enough, Kaito-san. Just go perform your duties."

* * *

Natsume skidded to a halt in front of the academy's middle school, running toward the main building when the door opened and a red haired boy smirked as the blonde ran past him calling out, "Seeyouinclass,Shuichi'kayBYE!" Shuichi chuckled, stepping back into the building and strolling into the classroom, biting his bottom lip to prevent himself from chuckling at the sight of the blonde leaning over her desk and gasping for air. He sat down delicately in the desk while Natsume eventually plopped herself into her desk, head hanging over the back and still gasping for air. The bell rang and Natsume's fist shot into the air, a gasped "yes" escaping her, encouraging another chuckle from Shuichi.

"I'm still surprised that you make it to school on the first week back from break," Shuichi teased. Natsume lifted her head up, glanced around for a teacher, before giving Shuichi the bird, much to the red haired boy's amusement.

"Yes, yes, I know. You hate me and only hang around me for the "god-like" notes that I make," Shuichi mock sighed, a smile spreading on his face as the blonde rolled her head to the side to glare at him.

"You're sassy this morning. I don't like it," Natsume pouted, finally pulling herself up from her collapse to sit properly in a desk. Shuichi simply gave her a smile as the teacher walked into the classroom to begin the day's lesson.

* * *

The lunch bell finally rang at 12, prompting happy sounds from many of the students, Natsume and Shuichi included. The red haired boy slipped his lunchbox from his bag as the blonde yanked out her own lunch box and stood, impatiently, by his desk.

"Come on, Shuichi. I don't want to stop because your fan club wants to ask to share lunch with you now, instead of at the beginning of the day," Natsume sighed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her friend chuckled, shaking his head slightly, before rising from his seat gracefully, and striding to the door. Mockingly bowing as he gestured out the door, Shuichi didn't even flinch when Natsume popped him on the head, instead letting his shoulders shake in silent laughter.

"Would your highness like me to carry you to the rooftop as well?" Shuichi teased as he easily fell in step with Natsume. The blonde glared at him from the corner of her eye before a smile crossed her face.

"You would have to catch me first." Before the boy could realise the challenge that the blonde threw down, she shot down the hall, moving past milling students to the stairs. Rolling his eyes, Shuichi followed, a fox-like grin crossing his face.

* * *

"How does that even work?" Natsume gasps, leaning heavily on the door frame to catch her breath while Shuichi shrugged from the bench in the middle of the roof. The blonde let out a groan before slinking to the bench and collapsing on to both the bench and the boy sitting on it. Shuichi let out a huff of air as Natsume dropped her head into his lap, the blonde grinning up at the boy mischievously.

"Someone is going to beat you someday, and I want to be there to laugh at you while you cry over your shattered perfect record," Natsume announced, before pulling herself up into a sitting position and opening her bento.

"I don't think that will happen all too soon, but if it were to occur, you'd be the first to know, whether I intend you to know or not," Shuichi replied while Natsume shoved a bit of rice into her mouth. The blonde rolled her eyes as the red haired boy opened his own bento.

"I told you, I didn't know how to control the mind reading when I was younger," Natsume sighed, picking up a piece of tamagoyaki and shoving it in her mouth, ignoring the light burning in her cheeks.

"And what about the last physical? You were glaring awfully hard at all of the boys in our class," Shuichi teased, his amused expression flickering to worry briefly as Natsume chokes on the rolled egg and red blossoms in her cheeks. Once she was able to breath again, Natsume shrieks, "IT'S NOT MY FAULT THEY WERE PROJECTING!" Despite flinching, Shuichi's shoulders started to shake with silent laughter again as Natsume dug into her bento with gusto, her blush slowly fading as the atmosphere turned into silent companionship. Almost too soon, the warning bell rang, calling students back to class. Natsume sighed, standing up from the bench while Shuichi took his time to rise.

"Time for class. Yay. Let's go, Shuichi," Natsume sighed, stretching while looking over at her friend. Shuichi smiled and started to nod when suddenly, his features closed and his jaw tightened.

"Why don't you go ahead, Natsume? I'll be back, so don't worry," Shuichi offered with a strained smile. Natsume furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to ask when the red head put his hand on her back and gently pushed to the stairwell.

"Don't worry, I'll be in class soon," Shuichi reassured, motioning for her to go. Natsume chewed on her lip before sighing.

"Alright, alright, I'll go ahead," she answer reluctantly, heading toward the door. Shuichi didn't comment on how out of place her acceptance was, focusing on something in the far corner. Natsume shot a glance in that corner and blanched as a lesser demon decided to drop onto the roof, it's eyes focused on her.

"NOPE!" Natsume yelped, twisting to grab Shuichi's arm before pulling him back into the school. Shuichi's face was that of surprise as Natsume dragged him down the stairs and away from the demon, into the girls bathroom on the second floor just as the second bell rang.

"What was that for?" Shuichi asked, pulling his wrist out of her hand gently only to grasp her wrist as her hands trembled.

"I was not going to let my best friend get eaten by a flipping demon that is obviously after me," Natsume gasps, adrenaline dying off the longer they stood on the tile floor. Something projected from Shuichi's mind, a faint question that Natsume couldn't really focus on as the shaking slowly died away.

"Demons? They actually exist?" Shuichi asked, his tone holding an innocent tone that Natsume always felt was mocking her.

"I thought we covered this when you met Yuki-san and Kaito-san," Natsume deadpans, her breathing returning to normal.

"Wait, you were serious?" Shuichi asked, a surprised tone in his voice getting a laugh from Natsume.

"What made you think I would lie about something like that?" Natsume asked, putting her hand on her hip and a smile crossing her face. Shuichi shrugged his shoulders and explained, "I thought that was an exaggeration from how terrifyingly efficient they were." A startled laugh escaped Natsume as Shuichi chuckled.

"That does sound like something I would have done," Natsume agrees. Shuichi smiled before leaning down to be face level with his friend.

"Do you know the best part of this entire situation?" Shuichi asked. When Natsume shook her head, Shuichi stood up straight, putting a hand to his forehead and gasped, "Alas! My perfect record."

Class 2-4, closest to the girl's bathroom, became convinced that there was a ghost and it was laughing at their misery as a test was being handed out.

* * *

"See you next week, Shuichi!" Natsume called, waving from the front gate as her friend continued to the hospital to visit his mother. Humming a pleased tune, Natsume opened the gate and entered the yard. Yuki dropped from the rooftop and bowed to the blonde.

"Welcome home, Natsume-sama," the dark haired demon said, rising from her bow to open the door.

"Thanks, Yuki-san!" Natsume chirped, entering the large house. Inhaling, Natsume calls out, "I'm home!"

"I know!" Her mother calls back from the master office. Rolling grey eyes, Natsume trudged up the stairs and entered the office. Her mother finished smearing dark red lipstick on and straightening out her black dress before turning to her daughter.

"Go change, dear. We're going to a wake."


	2. Chapter 2

This was a harder chapter to write, especially with the fact that I'm basing this series off the manga instead of the anime, so there will be differences in parts (in the story, in general). Some from the VIS translation, some from the original Shonen Jump translation, some from the Shonen Jump manga volumes. UGHHHH… Oh, well. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well.

* * *

The car ride was silent as Hikari and Natsume watched the scenery outside. Natsume chewed on her lip, her mind stretching out to others, looking for information on one Yusuke Urameshi and how he died.

'So, Urameshi's dead? Great! Don't have to worry about that punk around here no more.'

'Glad I can open my shop and not worry about that punk snatching up my merchandise.'

'No more Urameshi! No more Urameshi!' Natsume pulled back into herself with disgust and annoyance.

"Mother?" the blonde whispered. Her mother turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are people celebrating? I mean, I understand that Urameshi-kun was a…" here Natsume paused to think of a proper word to describe the gangster even her classmates heard horror stories about, "problem child. However, he was still someone's child." Hikari sighed and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"Those who are celebrating have separated him from human and decided that with his death, it means a new beginning," the brunette woman explained, her hand tightening around her daughter's shoulders the only indication that she was just as upset as Natsume. The car abruptly stopped and Kaito opened the door for the two.

"We have arrived, Hikari-dono, Natsume-sama," he said, barely being heard over the buzz of the wake. Hikari slid out first, her elegant black dress trailing behind her, while Natsume followed, patting out her knee length skirt of any wrinkles. Looking around, Natsume decided to act as the prissy rich girl to keep the insensitive jerks away. Lifting her chin up, the blonde strode in step with her mother, both heading to the casket and Atsuko-san first. Allowing her mother to pray and offer condolences first, Natsume eyed the picture of Yusuke on the top of the casket. An angry looking, black haired boy, maybe a year younger than her, looked back out of the glass, causing Natsume to bite back her giggles. As her mother moved to Atsuko, Natsume knelt down and closed her eyes to pray. However, something startled her as soon as she closed her eyes. Eyes snapping back open, Natsume stared at the coffin in shock.

"Natsume," her mother whispered, getting Natsume to jump in surprise and whip her head to face Hikari. The brunette woman smiled softly at her daughter before glancing over at a crying girl.

"I think she could use a friend," Hikari said softly. Natsume looked over at the brown haired girl, standing with two other girls. The brunette with pigtails was weeping while the other girls stood there, unsure of how to comfort their friend.

"I'll be right back," Natsume finally answered, rising and walking over to the girls. As she approached, the two girls with the crying girl noticed her and began to silently freak out, projecting some thoughts that made Natsume almost smile. Almost, before she got close enough to the crying girl and her heart broke.

"I offer you my condolences for your loss," Natsume said, soft as to not draw more attention to the crying girl. Her head shot up and she sniffled, tears still running from her eyes. Natsume swallowed and did something rude, but what she felt was necessary. Natsume hugged the crying girl. The brunette tensed while her friends watched in surprise, before the girl let out another sob and buried her face into Natsume's shoulder. The blonde girl tightened her hug before relaxing and patting the calming girl on the back.

"There we go. Just let it all out," Natsume said, patting the girl's back in no particular rhythm. Suddenly, a shout grabbed the girls' attention and the four watch as an orange haired boy tried to run to the casket as three of his friends grab him.

"CURSE YOU URAMESHI! YOU THINK DYIN' SQUARES US?" He yells at the casket. One of his friends snap, "Man, Kuwabara, we're at a wake!" The boy, Kuwabara, ignored him, still yelling, "I'M THE ONE WHO'S SUPPOSED TO PUT YOU DOWN FOR GOOD, Y'HEAR ME?!" Another one of his friends snap, "As if he could, you idiot!" The crying girl let out a huff, as though she was in on a sad joke that really shouldn't be funny anymore, but somehow still is.

"NO STALLIN'! GIT OUTTA THAT COFFIN! GIT OUT AND FIGHT ME, YOU FRICKIN' IDIOT!" Kuwabara yelled. Natsume finally let go of the crying girl as Kuwabara's friends dragged him away, finally allowing a sympathetic expression cross her face.

"Poor guy," Natsume sighed. The crying girl let out a soft laugh, a sad, broken sounding exhale as she wiped the tears from her face.

"H-he was Yusuke's "rival"," she explained, sniffing around a runny nose. Natsume frowned and pulled out a handkerchief, which the brunette took quietly. Wiping off her face, she offered a small smile and quietly introduced herself.

"Yukimura, Keiko," the brunette offered. Natsume returned the small smile and replied, "Fujiko, Natsume. Now, how do you know Urameshi-kun?" Keiko allowed herself to smile something a little less sad.

* * *

The wake ended with little issue, aside from some snide remarks from bitter teachers that were straightened out by an older teacher. Returning to the car, Natsume and Hikari slid into the back seat while Kaito started up the engine. Silence encloses the area, until Natsume finally decided to ask the question burning in her mind since she saw the coffin.

"Did you feel it, Mother?" she asked. Hikari looked over at her daughter, grey eyes taking in the body language before returning to the window.

"Yes, Natsume. I know," Hikari replied. Natsume allowed herself to smile.

"I hope everyone gets ready for Urameshi-kun's return. I don't think he's going to chose to stay dead," Natsume smiled, looking out the window and catching a glimpse of bright blue hair and a bright pink kimono.


	3. Chapter 3

First filler chapter! Because why not? Anywho, I hope that everyone is enjoying the story so far and know that most of the Yusuke's Ordeal part will be filler with Natsume appearing occasionally to help Keiko and, eventually, Kuwabara. Also, Lupin the 3rd characters appear in this chapter! They won't be appearing often but I want a father figure to appear every now and again. Other than that, enjoy the story!

* * *

Saturday was supposed to be for sleeping and relaxing at home. Saturday morning was for sleeping in, breakfast, or a light jog. This Saturday, Natsume stood in the Asaka shooting range, holding a 9mm Glock 19 , with ear and eye protection on. Her father stood behind her, his black fedora tilted down and a cigarette clenched between his teeth, ash barely missing his suit.

"Straighten out your shoulders, kido! Brace your legs!" he yelled over the gunfire around them. Natsume grit her teeth, but still fixed her stance, firing off two shots that hit dead center of the target. The blonde smirked in pride, flicking the safety back on and checking for how much ammo is left. Seeing the cartridge completely empty, she turned to her father with a winning smile. The dark haired man laughed, ruffling her hair and linking arms with her.

"Let's get out of here," he said, leading his blonde daughter out of the shooting range and into the morning light. The street was mostly empty except for the little Fiat 500 sitting on the side with a silent samurai meditating on the top. The long haired man opened his eyes and nodded at Natsume before turning to her father.

"Jigen, Lupin wants us back at the hotel soon," he told the suit wearing man. Jigen spat out his cigarette and scowled.

"You'd think he'd take it easy for once, but no," Jigen mumbled, getting on the driverside. Natsume laughed and entered the passenger side while the samurai slipped into the back seat via the sky light. Jigen grinned and started up the car, setting it toward Tokyo. Most of the ride was silent, Natsume lowering her psychic walls to allow an almost zen-like peace to enter her mind as they passed forests and parks.

"So," Jigen started, catching Natsume's attention, "Is your mom still pissed at me?" Natsume blinked before a smile spread on her face, something soft and kind. Jigen tensed for the answer.

"Hmm… A little bit. But, she understands that you can't really flaunt that you're married. Especially, not in the kind of career you have," Natsume explained. Jigen let out a sigh of relief as the younger man in the back smirked.

"Granny Genkai is pissed that you don't visit her," Natsume added, getting Jigen slamming on the breaks, almost choking himself and Natsume with the seatbelt. Natsume coughed while Jigen turned to his companion and said, "See this? This is why I don't usually like women. I've got, potentially, the world's strongest psychic as a daughter, the world's current strongest psychic as a wife, and an Reikai specialist as a Great Aunt. Too much estrogen, Goemon, too much goddamn estrogen." Natsume looked in the rearview mirror and rolled her eyes, encouraging a laugh from Goemon.

"Honestly, Papa. You're just too used to strong women who don't need no men," Natsume sniffed, grinning as her father howled with laughter.

"Your mother will agree with the thought, but I think she would kill you for your wording," Jigen gasped, pulling up to the curb of the hospital. Natsume laughed as she slid out of the car.

"Thanks for the refresher course and for dropping me off at the hospital, Papa," Natsume said before closing the passenger side door. She waved to Goemon before the Fiat drove off, back to the hotel they were staying at. Turning to the hospital, Natsume hummed a little diddy as she signed in as a visitor. Climbing the stairs to the fifth floor, the blonde knocked on the door of room 501.

"Come in," a soft voice answered. Natsume opened the door and smiled at the resting woman. The dark haired woman forced herself into a sitting position that had Natsume rushing into the room, scolding, "Don't do that, Shiori-san! Honestly, you're supposed to be resting."

"Oh, do calm down, Natsu-chan. I'm healthy enough to sit up," Shiori sighed, finally propped up in a sitting position. The blonde girl sighed before taking a chair beside the bed, grabbing an apple from the bowl beside the bed and beginning to peel it with a knife right beside the bowl.

"I'm just concerned because if something was to happen to you, Mother would get mopey about losing a gossip-buddy," Natsume teased, pausing in her peeling to stare at the half peeled apple before carving bunny ears with the remaining skin. Shiori laughed before a coughing fit took over and she bent forward in bed. The blonde quickly set down the apple and knife, waving a hand to a pitcher of water to levitate it over to the bedside with a glass while the dark haired woman was still bent over, still coughing. Grasping both, Natsume poured water into the glass and offered it to the still coughing woman. Shiori took the glass and sipped on the water between coughs, eventually calming the racks in her body that came with the hard coughing until it stopped entirely.

"Are you sure you're alright? Would you like for me to call a doctor?" Natsume offered, reaching to the call button.

"I'm fine, Natsu-chan," Shiori explained, still holding the glass. Natsume chewed on her bottom lip and asked, "Are you sure? I can still call a doctor, or maybe you'd prefer Shuichi? Oh, course you'd prefer Shuichi. He's your son and he's reliable and intelligent and-"

"Natsume!" Shiori snapped, startling the young woman from her frenzied worry. The dark haired woman sighed and looked at the blonde affectionately.

"I'm thankful that you and Shuichi both worry over me, however, a coughing fit is just that. A coughing fit. So please, calm down," Shiori explained. Natsume looked at the older woman and sighed, allowing her shoulders and posture to slump.

"It's just-" Natsume starts only to halt and swallow. Shiori didn't know about the other worlds or about the psychic abilities Natsume and Hikari have. The woman didn't know about a boy who was fight with the spirit world to get back to his body. Natsume let out another sigh and slumped forward even more, curling in on herself.

"Natsu-chan," Shiori starts, gaining the teen's attention, "No matter what, I know that you, your mother and Shuichi all care for me. That's more than I can ask for." Natsume gave her a small smile as the hospital room door opened again, allowing Shuichi to enter.

"Oh! I didn't realize that you came to visit Mother, Natsume," The red haired boy said, earning a huff from Natsume and a laugh from Shiori.

"I was worried for her, okay? Honestly, if you weren't such a goof, I wouldn't have to worry about your mother so much," Natsume scolds, wagging a finger at her friend. Shuichi gave a laugh while holding up his hands in surrender when Shiori leaned over.

"Now you don't mean that, Natsu-chan. You know, Shuichi, before you came in, Natsume said that you were reliable and intelligent," Shiori insists with a nod of her head. Natsume felt her cheeks burn while Shuichi looked at her with intrigue and an emotion that Natsume couldn't place her finger on.

"Really? Well, I'm flattered," he forced out. Waves of unease rolled of Shuichi in such an amount that the blonde was sure that her friend was well and truly upset. Glancing at the clock, Natsume rose.

"I need to go! Nice seeing you again, Shiori-san. See you Monday, Shuichi," Natsume bows and flees the room, running down the stairs and to the closest metro station. Once on the train, she sighs and rests her head on the window.

"What made you feel uneasy about those compliments, Shuichi?" Natsume wonders to herself as the scenery blurred by.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the long hiatus guys! This chapter simply did not want to come out and I started another story over at Archive of Our Own, so yeah. Also, this chapter is more filler while furthering Natsume's character.

* * *

Natsume decided that Sunday was definitely her day of rest, with the blanket pulled over her head and the alarm clock off for the first time of the week. Unfortunately, fate, destiny, or the son of Enma, decided to go against that when her blanket was yanked off by Yuki.

"I apologize, Natsume-sama. However, Koenma-san wishes to see you," the demon explains, folding the blanket to lay at the foot of her bed. Natsume groans and curls up into a ball on the center of her bed, much to Yuki's amusement. The demon lets out another sigh before lifting the girl off the bed and dropping her, gracelessly, back on the bed. Natsume yelps and scrambles for purchase, if only to roll off the bed entirely. Yuki covers her mouth with her hand and bows, escaping the room before allowing herself to laugh. Natsume scowls at the doorway as Yuki's laughter faded down the stairs, dragging herself up onto the bed and flopping face down in her mattress.

"Uugh," the blond groans, trying to bury her head into her mattress. After a minute passes, the teen pulls herself up and stumbles over to the closet, grabbing a change of clothes and dragging her feet into the bathroom for a quick shower and to change.

* * *

"I hate you with my entire being," was the first thing out of Natsume's mouth as soon as she jumps out of the portal. Koenma hums in acknowledgement, stamping papers with his seal the entire time. Natsume frowned and crossed her arms as the small immortal continued through his work. Huffing out a breath in irritability, she starts to look around the room for something to entertain herself.

"Has anyone gotten in contact with-" Koenma cut himself off when he looks up from his work and spots the irritable teen, arms crossed and tapping her foot.

"Nevermind then. Natsume-san, please come over here," Koenma asks, jumping off his chair and hurrying off to a side of the room. Natsume follows at a leisurely pace, irritated frown still firmly in place as they move past ogres and reapers.

"Recently, there has been an increase of demon activity near your home," Koenma begins.

"Oh, no. Don't say what I think you're gonna say," Natsume groans, covering her face with her hands. Koenma shrugs and continues, "This means that you will need to be able to defend yourself. So, Genkai will be teaching you some of her more offensive moves." Natsume lets out another groan and glares at the toddler.

"No. I'm not going to do that. I was already told that I wouldn't be learning any attacks when I wanted to learn them. Now, I'm not even willing to learn them, so they won't stick," Natsume insists, scowling at the toddler. Koenma sighs as a voice says, "You're going to learn or I'm going to be teaching you." The blonde teen pales and turns to face her mother, clothed in a kimono and drinking tea.

"But, Mother-" Natsume begins, only for Hikari to raise a hand and silence her daughter.

"This is non-negotiable. You will learn how to protect yourself, either from your great aunt or myself. Choose, now," Hikari orders. Natsume swallows and squeaks out, "I think I'm going to go visit Granny Genkai." The blonde promptly turns and jumps through the portal, landing at the bottom of the stairs in front of Genkai's shrine.

"Oh, COME ON!" Natsume whines, throwing her hands up before starting the trek up the stairs. As she climbs, Natsume let her mind wander back to yesterday and how uneasy Shuichi felt at the idea of Natsume complimenting him.

'It's not like they were backhanded compliments. They were just compliments. Was it because his mother said that they were from a school mate? But, that wouldn't make sense either, because he doesn't react that way to other compliments from our school mates. So, is it just me? Aw, crap. Does he think that I want to be his girlfriend? Or, maybe, he doesn't think I could be girlfriend material? But, wait. Maybe-' Natsume cuts herself off when she looks up and realizes that she's almost to the top of the stairs.

"Granny! I'm here-" Once again, Natsume finds herself cut off. This time, the cause was a tiny slip of an old woman with graying hair and a scowl firmly in place.

"Go back down the stairs. You're doing 100 reps," the woman orders. Natsume lets out a huff and opens her mouth to argue when the old woman raises an eyebrow, a silent challenge. One that Natsume was not willing to accept as she rushes back down the stairs and starts on rep two.

* * *

The mid-morning sun blazes above the temple as Natsume drags herself into the temple and the air conditioned room. Genkai smirks at the appearance of her Great Grandniece while the blonde works to cool down.

"So, the brat decided to send you to me for training?" Genkai begins, sipping her tea calmly while Natsume sits up to pour her own tea and chugs it down.

"Not… quite…" Natsume gasps, sitting up straighter and raising her hands over her head to help expand her lungs and diaphragm. Genkai raises an eyebrow at the denial.

"It was… between you and… Mother…" Natsume continues, her breathing slowly evening out. Genkai makes a hum of understanding, pouring another cup of tea for herself. Natsume's breathing finally gets under control as Genkai enjoys her second cup of tea.

"Alright, let's go to the arcade," Genkai says, standing and walking over to a room. Natsume lets out a groan, but follows as Genkai opens the door to her training arcade. The janken machine and karaoke machine were ignored in favor of going straight to one of the two punching machines.

"The last time you were here, you got 100s on both the janken and the karaoke," Genkai says, stopping in front of one of the machines to hand Natsume a boxing glove. The blonde rolls her eyes and slips the glove on over her hand, wrinkling her nose at the sweat residue still in the glove. Genkai steps to the side and continues, "Now, lets see how strong your offensive spiritual capabilities are." Natsume sighs.

"Don't be disappointed if it doesn't go over double digits," Natsume warns, before pulling back her fist and punching the target. The counter over the target explodes, causing Natsume to fall onto her bottom and for Genkai to click her tongue in irritation.

"Well, there goes one machine," Genkai grumbles while Natsume stares at the now broken game in horrified awe.

"What the FUCK WAS THAT FOR?" Natsume ends with a yell, her head snapping over to Genkai. The old woman snorts, turning to her niece with her 'you-are-stupid' look.

"That was you not controlling your spirit energy offensively. A trait that comes from your mother's side of the family," Genkai sighs, looking at the machine before sighing again and grabbing a corner of the machine, starting to lift it. Natsume stares at her aunt for a moment before scrambling up and hurrying over to help Genkai drag out the now broken machine. Once it was outside, Genkai turns to her niece.

"You remember the basics of the Spirit Gun technique, right?" Genkai asks.

"I remember the theory and the pose, yeah," Natsume answers. Genkai smirks and looks over at the machine.

"Your first test is to destroy the machine completely," Genkai orders. Natsume sighs, but gets into a vaguely familiar stance, one her father uses with his pistols and revolvers. Her finger quickly warmed up, far faster than Natsume anticipated, becoming painfully hot in a matter of seconds. With a pained yelp, Natsume accidently fires at the machine, knocking herself onto her back and firing a far too big shot at the machine, effectively obliterating the machine. Genkai lets out a sigh of frustration.

"This is going to be a tedious time, isn't it?" Genkai asks herself while Natsume lays on the ground, groaning in pain.

* * *

Before anyone complains about Natsume being too strong, I know. I made her that way because of the family genetics I gave her. However, it's obvious that Natsume prefers the support role over an offensive role when it comes to fighting. So, yeah. Genkai's in for a long training cycle.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey! It's been a while, so I'll be brief. Here is the new chapter and I would love a review. (Shameless!) Other than that please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Monday brings aches and pains for Natsume as she limps to school. Groaning, the blonde straightens her posture only for her back to pop.

"Oh, cripes!" Natsume yelps, rubbing her back and wincing.

"That didn't sound too good," Shuichi says from behind Natsume, earning a surprised yelp. The blonde shoots her red haired friend a glare while grasping her chest, attempting to slow her heart rate.

"Don't do that, Shuichi!" Natsume snaps, pouting at her friend. Shuichi gives her an innocent smile, which causes Natsume to eye him suspiciously. The last time she saw her friend, he got extremely uncomfortable with her. Now, though, Shuichi is acting as if she never made him uncomfortable. Natsume chews her bottom lip as she falls in step with Shuichi. Her red haired friend glances at her and raises an eyebrow.

"You're thinking pretty hard over there, Natsume. Care to share?" Shuichi jokes, bumping shoulders with her. Natsume glances back at Shuichi with a frown.

"I'm sorry," Natsume says, looking down at the sidewalk. Shuichi raises an eyebrow at her.

"Did you do something?" Shuichi asks, looking at Natsume. She sighs and looks at Shuichi.

"For Saturday. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable," Natsume explains. Shuichi blinks at the blonde in surprise, getting Natsume flustered.

"Wh-what is it?" Natsume asks, turning red in embarrassment. Shuichi smiles at her, his eyes seeming to flash gold in the morning light.

"It's nothing to worry about," the red head reassures her, patting Natsume on the back. The blonde lets out a garbled noise, curling in on herself as her muscles scream in agony. Shuichi startles at his friend's pain, crouching down to be eye level with Natsume.

"Are you alright?" he asks, craning his neck to try and get a better look at Natsume's face.

"Yes, yep, si, ja, oui, mm-hmm…ow," Natsume grits out. Shuichi sighs and stands up, waiting for his friend to relax her muscles enough to continue their walk to school.

"Really hatin' this right now," Natsume groans, reaching out to be pulled up by Shuichi. The red haired boy just laughs, grasping her hand and practically dragging her the rest of the way to school.

* * *

The school day passed Natsume in a blur of mild pain and information, leaving her walking home. Shuichi decided to stay after school to help the gardening club, just barely remembering to apologize for leaving Natsume to walk home alone before heading to the greenhouse behind the school. The blonde pauses her walking to roll her shoulders and let out a groan of relief as the muscles relax.

"Ugh, I need to soak in the tub tonight," Natsume sighs to herself, starting to walk again while rubbing her neck.

"Hey! Cutie!" Natsume overhears behind her as she passes two highschool girls. The girls flinch while Natume sighs and continues to her home, barely three blocks away.

"Oi! Blondie! We're talkin' to you!" the same person yells. Natsume stops and turns to the group in confusion. Four boys wearing Kasanegafuchi uniforms surround her quickly, changing Natsume's expression from confusion to irritation. One of the boys leer at her while another chuckles and eyes the shirt of her uniform.

"How about hanging with us, sweetie? Mommy and Daddy don't have to know," the guy that was yelling earlier now cooes. The other three boy snicker and grin at each other while Natsume rolls her eyes.

"I'd rather not, thank you very much," Natsume sighs, turning and trying to push her way past the boys behind her. One of the boys grab her arm, his grin changing into a snarl, only for a fist to fly out and strike him in the jaw. Natsume takes a step back in surprise as the boy skids across the ground.

"I knew you guys were jerks, but ganging up on girls is just wrong," an orange haired boy, Kuwabara if Natsume recalls Urameshi-kun's wake and Keiko's stories, says as he cracks his knuckles. Two of his friends flank him while his shortest friend pulls Natsume behind their little group. The Kasanegafuchi boys flinch and glare at Kuwabara and his friends.

"It's none or your business, Kuwabara!" one of the boys yell as another helps their friend off the ground.

"This part of town is my business," Kuwabara insists while his light haired friend cracks his knuckles.

"I think you guys should get a lesson in manners," the light haired boy sneers. The Kasanegafuchi boys sneer at the small group before launching themselves at Kuwabara and his friends. The stout boy pushes Natsume a bit further from the fight as the boys start throwing punches at each other. The boy smiles sheepishly at Natsume and says, "You should head home. You probably don't want to—" The boy is cut off as one of the Kasanegafuchi boys slip past Kuwabara and punches the stout boy in the face. Natsume flinches back in surprise as Kuwabara let out a roar of anger and punches the Kasanegafuchi boy in the ribs. A loud crack rings out of the area, followed by the boy slumping to the ground in pain. His classmates quickly stop fighting to pick up the semi-conscious boy and run off, yelling curses over their shoulders.

"That's right! You better run!" the light haired boy yells while Kuwabara and the other dark haired boy help their stout friend up. Natsume chews her bottom lip before saying, "I have a first aid kit at my house. It's just around the corner." The boys share a look before Kuwabara shrugs.

"Sure. Why not?"

* * *

Natsume opens the door and motions for the boys to enter the house, calling out, "Kaito-san! Can you please get the first aid kit?"

"Of course, Natsume-sama," the butler answers with a bow, only raising an eyebrow at the bewildered boys before leaving to collect the first aid kit. Natsume motions for the boys to sit on the couch as she hurries into the kitchen, wetting a towel and grabbing an ice pack.

"Uh, thanks for the first aid," the stout boy says , looking around the living room in awe.

"It's the least I could do for you guys helping me out," Natsume replies, returning to the living room and handing the ice pack to the stout boy before turning to the dark haired boy and handing him the wet towel. The light haired boy squints at Natsume as Kaito arrives with the first aid kit.

"You look kinda familiar," he trails off only for Kuwabara and his dark haired friend to hit him for staring. Natsume laughs at the boys' actions before allowing her face to fall.

"You probably saw me at Urameshi-kun's wake," Natsume offers quietly. The boys on the couch quiet at the name, the only sound following is Kaito opening and closing the first aid kit. Kuwabara clears his throat, catching Natsume's attention.

"I'm Kuwabara. Thanks for your help," he says, bowing in his seated position. Natsume allows asmile to cross her face.

"I heard as much from the boys earlier," the blonde teases. Kuwabara's friends try to hide their snickering while Kuwabara turns bright red. The stout boys nods at Natsume, speaking up to say, "I'm Okubo."

"Name's Sawamura," the dark haired boy says with a nod. The light haired boy grins flirtatiously at Natsume, much to the apparent chagrin of Kaito.

"Kirishima is my name. However, you can call me anything you want," he offers with a wink. Kaito looks up and at Natsume, his face screaming what he thinks of the teen's flirting. Natsume giggles at both the flirting and at Kaito's face. The other three boys hit Kirishima in the head, their faces bright red at the PDA.

"I'm Fujiko," Natsume replies, smiling and bowing. Kaito sighs and closes the first aid kit.

"It's done, Natsume-sama," Kaito says, turning and bowing at the blonde before leaving the room. Natsume nods at Kaito as the boys stand, preparing to leave.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Sawamura says, bowing at the girl. Natsume blinks in surprise.

"Ah! No. Thank you for your help earlier. If there is anything else I can do for you, please just ask," Natsume offers, bowing again herself.

"Well, now that you mention it—" Kirishima starts only for Sawamura to grab him by the ear and start dragging the light haired boy out of the house, Okubo following them after giving Natsume another bow. Kuwabara sniffs and rubs his nose, glancing at Natsume out of the corner of his eye.

"You stay clear of those Kasanegafuchi guys, okay?" he asks, his ears turning a light red color. Natsume bites her lip and nods, getting a nod from Kuwabara before the boy leaves. Kaito walks back into the living room, a frown firmly in place.

"I don't believe your father would approve," Kaito sniffs. Natsume finally allows herself to laugh.

"At least three of those boys think I'm dating you," Natsume gasps, laughing harder at Kaito's disgusted face.

"Why would they think that?" Kaito snaps. Natsume looks at her family butler, carefully eyeing each detail. A dark haired, handsome man who looked at most 25 with strange brown-red eyes.

"I have no idea," Natsume lies, still laughing.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning finds Natsume recalling the fight yesterday to Shuichi.

"… And then they left," she finishes with a shrug. Shuichi frowns at Natsume's flippant attitude, easily keeping up with Natsume's fast pace this morning.

"I don't think it is a good idea to be around those boys," Shuichi insists. Natsume looks at her friend with a frown, countering, "You don't know them. They're rather nice."

"I'm just worried, that's all," Shuichi explains with a sigh and a shrug. Natsume smiles softly and bumps shoulders with Shuichi, teasing, "Between you, Kaito-san, and Dad, I think I'll be fine." She pauses and adds, "I might also stay single for the rest of my life because of you three…" Shuichi sighs again, looking down the road and ignoring Natsume's joke. Natsume fidgets in the silence, walking with him for about another block, before blurting out, "What's going on in the Gardening Club?" Shuichi perks at the change of topic.

"Well, the Club finally raised enough money to purchase rose bushes…" Shuichi begins excitedly, Natsume grinning and listening.

* * *

Natsume once again walks home alone, Shuichi helping the Gardening Club this afternoon too. After walking in silence for a while, she sighs, "I need more friends." Suddenly, she hears a fight up ahead, peaking her curiosity. Jogging closer, she recognizes an adult from Urameshi's wake, hiding behind a bridge's support beam, looking stunned at what was happening ahead of him. Ignoring the man, Natsume creeps closer, spotting a prone form on the ground, surrounded by three of the boys from Kasanegafuchi. Without thinking it through, Natsume levitates a sheet near the boys and lets out a shriek. Once she has the boys' attention, she points a trembling finger past them, at the sheet.

"GHOST!" she cries, putting as much fear in her voice as possible. The boys glance back at the sheet before fleeing, shoving each other and yelling, with the man running in the opposite direction. The sheet drops as Natsume rushes over to the curled up figure, who is surprisingly Kuwabara, and shakes him awake.

"Hey, Kuwabara. C'mon man, get up," she coaxes. Kuwabara sits up slowly, blinking blearily at Natsume.

"Fujiko? What are you doing here?" Kuwabara mumbles around a split lip, allowing Natsume to throw his arm over his shoulder.

"This is my route home. What's your excuse?" Natsume jokes, dragging Kuwabara toward her house. He stumbles to his feet and starts explaining his situation.

"One of the Kasanegafuchi guys, the one I punched, ended up in the hospital. The other guys whined to their teacher and the teacher told Mr. Akashi. He tried to get Okubo fired from his part-time job. Luckily, we managed to get a chance to change Mr. Akashi's mind. If we don't get in a fight at all during the week, Okubo gets to keep his job," Kuwabara finishes as they arrive at Natsume's house. She clicks her tongue as she somehow manages to open the door. Yuki looks up from her book at the sound, raising an eyebrow at the two.

"Yuki-san, please get the first aid kit," Natsume orders, helping Kuwabara onto the couch.

"At once, Natsume-sama," Yuki answers, placing her book down before bowing and leaving the room. Natsume hurries into the kitchen and soaks a towel, returning to the living room and handing the towel to Kuwabara.

"What's going on out here?" Hikari demands as she enters the living room, Yuki following close behind with the first aid kit.

"Mother! You finished work early?" Natsume asks, stepping out of Yuki's way to allow her to patch up Kuwabara.

"Nice try, Natsume. Now, introduce me to your friend," Hikari orders, an amused smile on her face.

"Mother, this is Kuwabara. Kuwabara, this is my mother, Fujiko Hikari," Natsume introduces.

"It's nice to meet you," Kuwabara says, bowing his head while Yuki applies medication to his injuries.

"The pleasure is mine," Hikari offers in return, bowing deeply. Yuki stands abruptly, snapping the first aid kit closed with finality.

"It is done," Yuki announces, turning to return the first aid kit back to its proper place. Kuwabara stands up from the couch, grinning sheepishly.

"Thanks for helping me," Kuwabara insists, bowing deeply at Hikari.

"Think nothing of it. Come visit whenever you like," Hikari waves off with a smile. Kuwabara bows again before leaving. Natsume raises an eyebrow at her mother.

"Why did you say that?" Natsume asks, getting a sly smile from her mother. She huffs and rolls her eyes, heading upstairs to change.

* * *

The next afternoon finds Natsume walking home alone once more, Shuichi still helping the Gardening Club. Pausing briefly to shift her bag, she notices Kuwabara up ahead with his nose buried in a book.

"Kuwabara! What are you doing?" she calls, hurrying up to him, surprising him enough to look up from his book.

"Oh, hey Fujiko," he answers, returning back to his book. Natsume peeks at the book's content, raising an eyebrow at all the science jargon.

"Huh, didn't really peg you as a science fan," she comments, moving out of his personal space.

"I'm really not," Kuwabara mumbles, squinting at a word on the page. Natsume raises an eyebrow at his comment.

"So, what's this for?" she asks, easily keeping stride even as she peeks over the cover and judges the terrible state of the book.

"Mr. Akashi said we also need to pass his test with at least a 50 to help Okubo keep his job," Kuwabara explains, flipping to the next page. Natsume hums in understanding, asking curiously, "What was your last score?"

"7," he answers. Natsume blinks in surprise at Kuwabara's answer, before grabbing his wrist and dragging him to her house. She lets go of his wrist once they're in the sitting room, running up to her room and grabbing a multitude of science books and notes. She returns to the sitting room to grab Kuwabara and drag him into the library, ignoring her mother's amused look. She drops the books on the table and motions him to sit down.

"We're gonna study our butts off and make sure you pass this test. It's the least I can do to help you guys," Natsume sighs, sitting down and pulling over his book, matching his chapter to the chapter in her book. Kuwabara blinks before grinning in earnest, cheering out, "Yeah!"

* * *

The week passes quickly, with Natsume's afternoon filled with checking over Kuwabara for any injury, tutoring him in science, and sending him home in time for dinner. Finally, Friday comes around and school ends, Natsume exiting the building with a sigh of relief.

"FUJIKO!" Someone yells, startling her and making her turn toward the voice. Abruptly, she's swept up in a hug, getting a yelp of surprise.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Okubo cries happily, squeezing Natusme tightly. She huffs out a laugh and pats him on the head as the other boys catch up as Okubo chatters about how Kuwabara pulled through and passed the test. Natsume catches a glimpse of Shuichi, getting a smile in return as he casually slips his hand into his pocket.

* * *

IT LIVES! Yes, this is not a dead piece... Just one I lost interest in... I'm so sorry... I love you guys...


End file.
